Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

In 2011, three college roommates had a late-night idea to start a blog. No plan, no funding, and no bylines. Fast forward to today, and Betches is one of the biggest names in media, reaching millions of women worldwide. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sat down with Aleen Dreksler, co-founder and CEO of Betches, to talk about how she and her two friends built a media empire from the ground up. Aleen opens up about the challenges of bootstrapping, trusting their instincts, and creating a brand that resonates with women on a deeper level. She also shares how entrepreneurship and motherhood intersect, and how she balances both. Tune in to hear how embracing imperfections and taking risks turned a small blog into a cultural phenomenon. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Aleen Dreksler, co-founder of Betches (02:09) Starting Betches during peak bro culture (06:03) Building a business without outside funding (09:06) Growing with your audience  (12:34) Fighting with co-founders (13:56) The Betches acquisition  (18:03) Scaling the business while staying lean (22:38) Saying goodbye to FOMO for good (25:35) Motherhood, ambition, and being okay with imperfection (30:51) What it’s like to be an employee again (35:11) The two lessons every founder needs to hear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes boredom is the push that leads to your next big thing. For Sammi Cohen, it was the spark that took her from a stable job at Amazon to building a career as a full-time content creator. One Tiktok video eventually turned into hundreds. And before long, she built Social Currency, a media brand and podcast that reaches millions. This week on SUPERWOMEN, Sammi shares the story behind that transition. We talk about the patience, grit, and yes, a little bit of delusion it takes to keep going between your first post and your first paycheck. She opens up about building trust with her audience, learning from failure without shame, and developing the instincts to know what content will stick. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Sammi Cohen, CEO and host of Social Currency (05:47) Finding your voice online (08:55) When monetization finally happens (13:53) Sammi’s failed matcha company and starting over (16:41) Dissecting the brands everyone’s talking about (21:20) Turning mistakes into momentum instead of shame (28:35) Redefining balance, priorities, and self-care (32:15) Sammi’s creator instinct (36:30) Navigating criticism and staying fair (41:37) Finding your X factor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people are settled by 40. Carrie Gross was just getting started. With four kids at home and a solid career, her decision to start a new business seemed like a risky choice. But her vision was stronger than the fear. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I chatted with the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare about her pivot from fashion to beauty. She shares how she and her dermatologist husband launched the brand with one product—their now-iconic peel pads. We talk about what it’s like to pursue your passion later in life, how to stay married while running a business together, and what it means to grow without burning out. Carrie opens up about early failures, trusting her gut, and staying focused on what really matters. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Carrie Gross, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare (03:21) The elevator encounter that changed her life (06:29) How Dr. Dennis Gross’ Peel Pads took off (11:07) Building a marriage and a business that lasts (15:51) The Sex and the City controversy (17:25) The 2008 crash that led to a brand rebirth (18:39) Selling the company and learning to let go (24:01) Innovating without chasing trends (26:02) Lessons from failure and being too early (27:14) Balancing ambition, motherhood, and slowing down Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina Tosi built an iconic dessert empire on sugar, grit, and a relentless drive to bring joy. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sit down with the award-winning chef and founder behind Milk Bar to talk about the parts of her story you don’t always see.  You may know Christina as the mastermind behind cereal milk or from her time on MasterChef, but what stuck with me was her honesty about the chaos of building something from scratch—and the even harder part of staying in it once the buzz dies down. We also talk about staying creative under pressure, what it feels like to be copied without credit, and why Christina still finds joy in baking after all these years. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Christina Tosi, Founder and CEO at Milk Bar (05:41) Christina’s emotional connection to baking (08:19) Milk Bar’s first month and the non-stop grind (12:43 ) The reality of being a trailblazer (17:02) Baking to impress vs. baking to create (19:37) What it takes to stay passionate after success (25:53) Falling in love with the messy middle (30:25) Carving out space for motherhood, relationships, and creativity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kiana Cabell was slathering coconut oil on her skin long before it became a beauty trend.  This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sit down with the co-founder of Kopari Beauty, one of the first brands to make clean body care cool and accessible. Kiana shares how she turned a multipurpose pantry staple into a breakout brand, what happened when her first product idea didn’t take off, and how Kopari evolved alongside her through every stage of growth. She talks about raising four kids while building a business, stepping back without stepping away, and why the best way forward is to start before you’re ready and to figure it out along the way. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Kiana Cabell, co-founder of Kopari Beauty(01:54) How coconut oil sparked a business idea (06:10) Navigating co-founder roles and dynamics (10:28) How Kopari stayed different from their competitors (13:45) Build a community before approaching retail (16:31) Lessons from raising VC too fast (20:28) Learning to let go and hiring a CEO (24:55) What most people misunderstand about sunscreen (28:25) Why starting before you’re ready is the best advice (29:37) The challenges of scaling inventory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GLP-1s have been called everything from miracle drugs to dangerous shortcuts. Becca McCarthy is here to set the record straight. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sit down with the co-founder of Evolv, a biotech-driven supplement brand that mimics the effects of GLP-1s without requiring a prescription. With a background in health and fitness, Becca saw a gap in the wellness market for those who didn’t qualify for pharmaceutical weight loss but still needed support. She discusses how Evolv was built using molecular biology and AI modeling, and why this product has been transforming how women relate to food, weight, and energy. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Becca McCarthy, Co-Founder, President, and COO at Evolv (02:12) Using AI to design a novel weight loss peptide (05:06) Hormonal imbalances that block weight loss for women (09:59) Understanding GLP-1 in simple terms (13:05) Resetting your relationship with food through satiety (18:15) How to talk to your kids about nutrition (20:18) How Evolv is different from supplements and drugs (24:38) The double pressure of being a founder and mom (29:22) Why biohacking isn’t for everyone (34:12) Evolv’s proprietary tech and future products (39:44) Challenging the stigma around aesthetic weight loss If you’d like to learn more about Evolv, visit their website: https://evolvlife.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bea Dixon built a $380M brand from a dream — literally. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by Bea Dixon, co-founder and CEO of The Honey Pot. After receiving a vision from her late grandmother, she created a plant-based solution that would transform feminine care. From handing out samples in parking lots to attending trade shows, Bea and her lean team scaled the company into a nationally loved brand and ultimately sold it for millions. But that success came with hard choices. Behind the headlines is a story of staying grounded, walking away from the wrong money, and trusting your gut every step of the way. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Bea Dixon, co-founder and CEO of The Honey Pot (05:14) The offer she turned down on purpose (06:57) The dream that sparked a product (10:59) Conducting “hood clinical trials” (14:05) Guerrilla marketing and big retailers (17:29) Getting into Target before they were ready (21:18) Life after Honey Pot’s acquisition (24:35) Vaginal wellness and the chemicals in most products (27:24) The deal that almost ended Honey Pot (33:08) What you learn after cashing out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Gore has always believed that all entrepreneurs deserve equitable access to capital. But pursuing that mission landed her in the middle of a federal class action lawsuit. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Hello Alice, which has helped 1.6 million small businesses and distributed over $65 million in grants. She talks candidly about being sued for funding Black business owners, surviving the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and a health scare that nearly took her out. Through it all, Elizabeth shares the lessons she’s learned about resilience, leadership, and staying rooted in purpose—even when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Hello Alice (06:37) Building an AI platform before it was mainstream (09:29) Getting sued for funding Black entrepreneurs (13:18) How they lost ⅔ of their Series C funding (15:03) The health crisis that stopped her cold (20:23) Learning to truly rest as a founder (28:48) What’s next for women and AI in business (31:37) The decision that nearly broke Hello Alice (33:43) Raising millions without a CFO (36:03) What Elizabeth would do if everything fell apart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanne Lee Molinaro never planned on leaving her career as a law firm partner. But the day she walked away, she opened the door to a life she’d never imagined. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by the creator of The Korean Vegan, a bestselling author, and beauty founder. From building a storytelling platform on social media to launching a cookbook that won the James Beard Award, Joanne has carved a path that is deeply personal and unmistakably her own. She talks about moving through fear, trusting her instincts, and letting honesty, not perfection, guide her choices. We also talk about reinvention after divorce, what it's like running a business with your partner, and why her new beauty line is more than just skincare. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Joanne Lee Molinaro, creator of The Korean Vegan (03:41) The moment she decided to leave big law (06:48) How her Instagram stories led to a book deal (11:19) The launch of Korean Vegan Beauty (20:37) Rebuilding identity after divorce and emotional trauma (28:41) Managing a multi-hyphenate career (33:38) Why being hands-on made her brand more meaningful (37:10) Routines that keep her grounded and creative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a refugee from Ukraine, Katerina Schneider arrived in the U.S. with nothing but $50 and a suitcase. Now, she’s the founder and CEO of Ritual, a multi-million dollar wellness brand reshaping the supplement industry. This week on SUPERWOMEN, Katerina shares what it took to start Ritual with no roadmap. What began as a search for a better prenatal became a mission to raise the bar in wellness. Tune in to hear how she built a business from the ground up, what she’s learned about leading while raising three kids, and why being “selfish” made her success possible. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Katerina Schneider, CEO of Ritual (02:26) A childhood that built grit and perspective (04:00) Building a business while pregnant with no blueprint (05:21) The impact of her experience in different industries (07:44) Why she decided to quit her job to start Ritual (09:04) Learning to surround herself with great leadership (12:18) Why women still trust bad advice (13:33) Creating a product that met a real need (15:55) How to tell if your supplements are actually safe (18:13) Balancing work and life with three kids (22:41) How to simplify wellness when overwhelmed by trends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices